Underwater breathing apparatus



Feb. 7, 1967 FIG].

J. W. ALLMAND UNDERWATER BREATHING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 10, 1964INVENTOR.

JO QN W. ALLMAND 33%,643 Patented Feb. 7, 1967 3,302,643 UNDERWATERBREATHING APPARATUS John W. Allmand, 300 Cypress Drive, Miami, Fla.33149 Filed Aug. 10, 1964, Ser. No. 388,533 2 Claims. (Cl. 128-142) Thisinvention relates to underwater breathing apparatus but is moreparticularly directed to such an apparatus which can be instantlyrecharged with fresh air while the person remains in the Water.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide an underwaterbreathing apparatus which has a reservoir of air that can be easily andinstantly replenished by the person using the apparatus without leavingthe water.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an underwaterbreathing apparatus which permits a person to remain under water arelatively long period of time and recharging the apparatus with freshair by merely coming to the surface and pumping by hand fresh air intothe apparatus.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an underwaterbreathing apparatus which is simple in construction, inexpensive incost, most effective to permit a person to stay underwater as much asten minutes and readily recharge my device with fresh air.

With these and other objects in view, the invention will be bestunderstood from a consideration of the following detailed descriptiontaken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of thisspecification, with the understanding, however, that the invention isnot confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawingbut may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modificationsmark no material departure from the salient features of the inventionsas expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of my under water breathing device shownin position on a person using same.

FIGURE 2 is a cross sectional view of my under water breathing device.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of my under water breathing deviceshown under water and partially broken away.

Referring to the drawing wherein like numerals are used to designatesimilar parts throughout the several views, the numeral refers generallyto my underwater breathing apparatus which consists of a cylindricaltank or reservoir 11 for containing the air that is to be utilized bythe swimmer while he is below the surface of the water. The tank 11 isprovided with threaded portions 12 and 13 at the ends thereof forthreadedly receiving a top cover 14 and a bottom cover 15 to form anenclosed air chamber 16. The top cover 14 is provided with threadedopenings 17 and 18 for receiving nipples 19 and 20, respectively, inaddition to a bore 21 being positioned in the cover 14 for slidablyreceiving a piston rod 22 on the end of which is a piston 23 fitted inthe cylinder 11. At the free end of the piston rod 22 beyond the topcover 14 is a charging ring 38.

The bottom cover 15 is provided with a plurality of openings which actas water scuppers to permit water to enter and leave the chamber 16 onone side of the piston 23 as air is discharged or received in thechamber 16 on the other side of the piston 23 as is explainedhereinafter.

To prevent the leakage of water past the piston 23 the latter isprovided with a rubber sealing ring 25. A relatively stiff or inflexiblerubber tubing 26 is secured to the free end of the nipple 19 by a hoseclamp 27. The tubing 26 which extends erectly above the tank 11 isprovided at its free end with a stop cock valve 29. By opening andclosing the stopcock valve 29, the flow of air from the tank 11 to theatmosphere and vice versa is controlled thereby.

The nipple 20 has a hose clamp30 mounted thereon to secure one end of alength of flexible tubing 31 which is provided at its free end with anipple 34 to which a conventional mouth piece 32 for breathing issecured. A stop cock valve 33 is positioned on the nipple 34 between themouth piece 32 and the free end of the flexible tubing 31 to control theflow of air between the air reservoir 16 and the mouth piece 32. v

To counterbalance the buoyant effect of the tank 11, a weighted mountingbracket plate 35 is fastened to the tank 11 with conventional waiststraps 36 and shoulder straps 37 extending from each edge of the plate35. The straps 36 and 37 are provided with the usual buckles orfastening members to secure the apparatus 10 on the back of the personusing the device 10.

My underwater breathing apparatus 10 is intended to supplement thenormal capacity of air in a persons lungs for a relatively short periodso that the person may remain underwater up to ten minutes before thenecessity to come to the surface and replenish the air in the reservoir16. The apparatus 10 is placed on a persons back with the waist straps36 and the shoulder straps 37 properly positioned and fastened about thepersons body to place the tubing 26 upright with the nipple 29 abovet hepersons head. The flexible tubing 31 will extend over the personsshoulder with the mouth piece 32 in proximity of the persons mouth.Before the mouthpiece is placed in the persons mouth, the tank 11 mustbe charged with fresh air. This is done by the person reaching over hisshoulder, opening the stop cock 29 and grasping the charging ring 38.Upon pulling upwardly on the charging ring to expel all of the air fromthe chamber 16 in the tank 11 through the tubing 26. Then the personpushes downwardly on the charging ring to place the piston to itslowermost position causing air to be taken from the atmosphere to fillthe chamber 16. The stop cock valve 29 is then closed.

The person then opens the stop cock valve 33 and places the mouth piece32 into his month. When the person goes underwater he commencesbreathing in and out through the mouthpiece 32. As he swims about underwater the piston 23 will be subjected to the water pressure and willcause the piston 23 to slide inwardly placing the air in the chamber 16under the same pressure. This then permits the person who is underwaterto breath the air in the tank 11 with case since the air in the tank 16will be under the same water pressure as the body and lungs of a personusing the apparatus. After a period of some ten minutes depending uponthe capacity of the tank 11, the air in the tank 11 will have beenbreathed in an expelled back into the tank 11. The person then comes upto the surface of the water, opens the stopcock 29, pulls upwardly onthe charging ring 38 and then downwardly to its original position torecharge the tank 11 with fresh air. The stop cock 29 is closed and theperson is ready to go under water again for another similar period. Thiscycle of operation may be continued as long as the erson desires to swimunderwater.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. An underwater breathing apparatus comprising a tank, said tank havinga cover at each end mounted thereon to form an air chamber, a pistonslidably mounted on said tank, one of said covers having a pluu ralityof openings, a piston rod secured at one end to said piston slidablymounted in one of said openings, a charging member mounted on the freeend of said piston rod, an inflexible tube mounted on another of saidopening in said one of said covers, a valve mounted on the free end ofsaid inflexible tube controlling the flow of air into and from said,tank, a flexible tube secured to another of said openings, a mouth piecemounted at the free end of said flexible tube, and at least one openingin the other of said covers permitting the flow of Water into said tankand against said piston, subjecting said air in said air chamber to thepressure of said water 2. An underwater breathing apparatus comprising atank, said tank having a cover at each end mounted thereon to form anair chamber, a piston slidably mounted on said tank, one of said covershaving a plurality of openings, a piston rod secured at one end to saidpiston slidably mounted in one of said openings, a charging membermounted on the free end of said piston rod, an inflexible tube mountedon another of said opening in said one of said covers, a valve mountedon the free end of said inflexible tube controlling the flow of air intoand from said tank, a flexible tube secured to another of said openings,a mouth piece mounted at the free end of said flexible tube, and atleast one opening in the other of said covers permitting the flow ofwater into said tank and against said piston, subjecting said air insaid air chamber to the pressure of said Water, a weighted bracketsecured to said tank and a plurality of straps secured to said weightedbracket for removably securing said tank to the back of a person.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1959 Wolshin128-142 12/1959 Le Masson 128-142

1. AN UNDERWATER BREATHING APPARATUS COMPRISING A TANK, SAID TANK HAVINGA COVER AT EACH END MOUNTED THEREON TO FORM AN AIR CHAMBER, A PISTONSLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID TANK, ONE OF SAID COVERS HAVING A PLURALITY OFOPENINGS, A PISTON ROD SECURED AT ONE END TO SAID PISTON SLIDABLYMOUNTED IN ONE OF SAID OPENINGS, A CHARGING MEMBER MOUNTED ON THE FREEEND OF SAID PISTON ROD, AN INFLEXIBLE TUBE MOUNTED ON ANOTHER OF SAIDOPENING IN SAID ONE OF SAID COVERS, A VALVE MOUNTED ON THE FREE END OFSAID INFLEXIBLE TUBE CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF AIR INTO AND FROM SAIDTANK, A FLEXIBLE TUBE SECURED TO ANOTHER OF SAID OPENINGS, A MOUTH PIECEMOUNTED AT THE FREE END OF SAID FLEXIBLE TUBE, AND AT LEAST ONE OPENINGIN THE OTHER OF SAID COVERS PERMITTING THE FLOW OF WATER INTO SAID TANKAND AGAINST SAID PISTON, SUBJECTING SAID AIR IN SAID AIR CHAMBER TO THEPRESSURE OF SAID WATER.